This is the continuation of the Idealian character tournament, based on the format of the book The Final Four of Everything edited by Mark Reiter and Richard Sandomir.
The next two matches comprise a "mini-regional" with four people with names appropriate to their occupation. Paul Dickson, another author, has coined the term "aptronym" to describe them.
Brightful Birdsong vs. Barney Laughinghouse
As one would guess, the former is a singer and the latter is a comedian. Birdsong is another one of the land's great singers. He, like Aretha Franklin and Sam Cooke, has a background as a gospel singer before crossing over to rhythm and blues and soul. A major difference is that many of his songs are a cappella (that's without music if you're not familiar). I am not aware of any other singer who regularly sings solos in that style; that's understandable as one can imagine how highly difficult that would be. Laughinghouse is the star of a situation comedy on prime-time television. Like the 1950s hit The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, the entire Laughinghouse family is the star: husband Barney, wife LaDonna, children Blake, Danielle, and Bonnie Jean, and hunting dog Buster. Also, the family's real-life experiences are the centerpiece of the show, which is done in an improvisational style. Barney leads in the criteria of fulfilling a need in the real world: today, there are no family-themed sitcoms on any of the four major broadcast networks in the United States. (Sorry, The Simpsons and Family Guy fans, cartoons do not count.) In contrast, they were prevalent 20 years or so ago. But by another measure, singers are more valuable than comedians: American Idol is going strong after eight seasons, while Last Comic Standing was canceled after four. The deciding factor in the end is the public image associated with each name: a birdsong is beautiful, while a laughing house would be weird. Winner: Birdsong
Magdalena Babblejack vs. Stormie Gayle Blizzard
If you worked for a news department and a resume came across your desk with the name "Stormie Gayle Blizzard," you'd hire her, right? I thought so. If the anchor chair became empty and someone named "Magdalena Babblejack" wanted the job, can she have it? The answer is, well, maybe. The name "Babblejack" implies gossiper more than serious newscaster, so Blizzard wins easily, right? Think again. If Babblejack were hired by a major network, and if she was able to combine serious journalism with the force of personality - maybe Walter Cronkite and Katie Couric mashed together - she may be the future of television news. Oh, by the way, "Maggie" is from England, where the news culture is very diverse and rich, compared to the U.S. Besides, anchors get the big money, not meteorologists. Winner: Babblejack
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